Wickerman

From WoWWiki

A Wickerman is a straw construct resembling a humanoid.

A Wickerman is burned by the Forsaken near the walls of Lordaeron during the Wickerman Festival to honor Queen Sylvanas and their escape from the Scourge. Wickermen are also burned in other parts of the world during Hallow's End in order to practice putting out fires from the attacks by the Headless Horseman. The Moonkin of Silvermyst Isle also have a Wickerman.

Some Wickermen are made to be animate. These necromantic constructs are created by cults of the Burning Legion, drawing on demonic power and the life of those sacrificed. Wickermen are given a single task, often to destroy a village or military force. Often, however, the wickermen turn on their creators once their task is complete.^{MoM 198}

Inspiration

The Wicker Man was a large wicker statue of a human allegedly used by the ancient Druids (priests of Celtic paganism) for human sacrifice by burning it in effigy, according to Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Commentary on the Gallic Wars).

It was also the name of a movie, The Wicker Man in 1973 and a remake also called The Wicker Man in 2006, which dealt with a form of Celtic paganism and the Wicker Man.